Demands For Loyalty To Craddick Causing Rifts In County GOP Organizations

Kaufman County Online, via Keeping Terrell In The Loop, has become the first publication in Texas to address what has been rumored to be happening for many months: Texas’ Republican county party organizations in many areas are becoming badly fractured as a result of demands that “true” party members be loyal to Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick.

This comes in an area that is expected to have a blistering GOP primary for state representative that will likely be a referendum on Tom Craddick himself:

While the Democrats have spent the last 18 months working on their organization, it seems the Republican wounds have not healed. Few will talk on the record, but Republican leaders on both sides acknowledge the rift. The party even has two Web sites.

The most visible example of the divide is the repeat of the race between Ms. Brown and Mr. Gent. Both sides are recounting their arguments from the last race and observers are expecting a brutal campaign.

County chairman David Hinds is on Ms. Brown’s side. He announced his resignation Wednesday, saying he can not maintain the neutrality expected of a county chairman.

“My resignation has absolutely nothing to do with any rift, alleged or otherwise, in the Republican Party,” Mr. Hinds said Wednesday evening. “My heart is with my incumbent state representative. She’s going to be in a dog fight.”

Even though the party has no rules requiring chairs to be neutral, he said he thought party officials should show no favoritism to candidates in the primary.

[...]

One group of Republicans, including Mr. Gent, says that the party is being highjacked by a small group who insist that only those who fully support the state platform, Gov. Rick Perry and Speaker of the House Tom Craddick can be considered true Republicans.

The other group, which includes Mr. Hinds, says that the platform is drawn by the party on recommendations from the county and deserves support. This group worries that the party will be taken over by fair-weather Republicans, or RINOs (Republicans in Name Only.)

Mr. Gent said Wednesday that some are so worried about strictly supporting the platform and the Austin power structure that they are willing to split the county party.

There are other differences, too:

Mr. Gent said the differences concern smaller, but still important, issues. For example, there is a divide over support for the Trans Texas Corridor.

It is supported in the party platform and Mr. Perry. But many county Republicans oppose it calling it a state land grab.

“Their unwillingness to accept the minor differences is going to fracture the Republican party,” Mr. Gent said. “Voters will be so alienated that they’ll vote for an independent party or Democrats.”

Ahhhhh. That crushing, earth-moving sound you hear is the self-destruction of the Republican Party of Texas.

What is happening in Kaufman County, while tragic for the Republicans because it can all be blamed on Tom DeLay, Tom Craddick, and Rick Perry, is excellent news for Democrats. When the Republican Party of Texas fractures, as it probably will at its 2008 convention (rumors of a convention walkout and rump convention and, eventually, a third party, are already circulating via email) the people of Texas will realize that, once again, when it is time for real leadership, you should turn to Democrats.

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